Supporting panel for use on washbasins



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U39 i953@ H, RAY

SUPPORTING PANEL FOR USE ON WASHBASINS Filed May 1B, 1,948

Lmuf J -l l i n INVENTOR HENRY RAY m/mawwdfwnmfwvmm ATTORN EYS PatentedMay 30, 1950 OFFICE SUPPORTING PANEL FOR USE ON WASHBASINS Henry Ray,New York, N. Y., assigner to Benjamin M. Hines, New York, N. Y.

Application May 18, 1948, Serial No. 27,682

(Cl. Li--l85) 6 Claims.

This invention relates to an article of furniture, and more particularlyto an apparatus adapted to be supported upon the wash basin in thebathroom of the home to provide a table top which is useful for avariety of purposes.

Because of the small average size of the present day bathroom, there isa need for a device which may be used to provide additional workingsurface therein and which at the same time may be conveniently removedand stored in a minimum of space when such working surface is notdesired.

It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to providesuch a device, the device .being adapted to be positioned upon the washbasin to form a table top which forms a convenient working surface.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an apparatus of thetype indicated which is durable, which presents a safe, strong andstable working surface, and which at the same time is suniciently lightin weight to be easily removed from the wash basin when not desired foruse there.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide anapparatus of the aforementioned character which may be easily adjustedto iit wash basins of different sizes.

1t is moreover an object of this invention to provide a device of thecharacter indicated which is simple in construction and which may bemanufactured at low cost.

Other objects of the present invention will be apparent upon a furtherreading of this specincation.

The aforementioned and other objects are accomplished by providing apanel shaped in the form of a section of a cylinder and having on one ofits straight sides iiexible means adapted to hold the panel in contactwith the faucet stems on a wash basin.

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference ismade to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a top view of theapparatus in position I,

on a Wash basin; and

Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the numeral l represents a concave-convex panelof the apparatus and the numeral 2 represents a cylindrical length ofgum rubber cord. The length of rubber cord is laced through the panelthrough the closelyfitting holes 3. The size of the rubber cord in crosssection is so related to the size of the holes 3 that the cord will beadjustably and firmly retained in the holes by friction. Additionalhclesll are provided in order that various adjustments of the position of thecord with respect to the panel may be made, and a cut-out 5 is alsoprovided to make the apparatus more adaptable for use in basins having aspigot common to the two faucets or taps.

In the embodiment shown in the drawing, the panel had a length of about2'? inches and a Width of about 20 inches, and the arcuate portion ofthe panel shown in section in Fig. 2 had a radius of about 25 inches.The panel was made of threesixteenth inch thickness [Masonite (aproprietary composition board made by a process in which wood chips areexploded by steam at a pressure of the order of 1000 pounds per squareinch, after which the resulting bers are waterproofed with an emulsionhaving a paraffin base and then pressed into boards of the desiredthickness) bent to the desired shape. The length of the gum rubber cordused was 29 inches andthe cord had a diameter of three-eighths inches.

Various modifications may be made` in the device specically described toprovide other embodiments falling within the scope of the presentinvention. Thus, the size, depth and thickness of the panel may bevaried, and it may be manufactured of materials other than Masonite, e.g., plywood, various synthetic resins, etc. In addition, the gum rubbercor-d may be replaced by cords made of other elastomeric materials, orby a helical spring, etc. Also, if desired, the bottom of the panel maybe provided with two or more sponge rubber pads, to cushion the panelfrom the top of the wash stand. Other modications in the apparatus ofthe present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

The forming of the panel with a concave upper surface and a convex lowersurface enables one side edge of it to pass over the outlet portions ofthe faucets of a wash basin and to nt under the handles of the faucetstems where it may be securely held by the flexible cord 2, as shown inthe drawings. By having the panel of concavoconvex form so that one sideedge extends under the handles of the faucets, the panel can havegreater width in a direction in front of the faucets Without anytendency of it to pivot about the front edge of the basin as a fulcrum,even when used on relatively small basins. Also, by having the uppersurface concave, some portion thereof always will lie substantiallyhorizontal, while the upwardly curved side edges give a sort of cradlingeffect which prevents anything placed 3 thereon from readily fallingoff. This latter effect is most advantageous when an infant is laid onthe panel, as when it is being dressed.

The apparatus described herein is characterized by a Wide variety ofother advantages. Thus, it can be inexpensively manufactured usingequipment which is readily available, and is easily assembled iffurnished the user disassembled. Furthermore, the device is strong anddurable in construction, yet is suniciently light that it can be easilyhandled. In a-ddition, the apparatus may be easily adjusted to t washbasins of different sizes, yet retains a xed adjustment for a longperiod. The apparatus is particularly adapted to be positioned upon awash basin placed in the corner of the room since, by positioning theexible means unsymmetrically with respect to the panel, such means willhold the side of the panel rigidly against the wall as Well as againstthe faucet stems and under the faucet handles.

The apparatus described is also possessed of a variety of uses, since itfills a definite need for more working surface in the bathroom of theaverage home. For example, it may be advantageously used when changing ababys diapers, or when drying and powdering a baby after a bath. Ifdesired, the apparatus may also be used for supporting clothes, such assocks and sweaters, when they are being dried. The device describedherein in fact fills the need for an additional table in the home, whenadditional table surface is needed.

-.I claim:

1. A supporting surface comprising a concavoconvex panel to be attachedto a wash basin or the like with its concave side upward, and means todetachably secure the panel to the faucets of the Wash basin.

2. A supporting surface comprising a concaveconveX panel curvedsubstantially in a single direction to be attached to a wash basin orthe like with its concave side upward, and means to detachably securethe panel to the faucets of the wash basin.

3. A supporting surface comprising a concavconvex curved Ipanel to beattached to a wash basin or the like with its concave side upward, andmeans to detachably secure the panel to the faucets of the Wash basin,said panel presenting a substantially continuous supporting surfacethroughout.

4. A supporting surface comprising a panel in the general form of alongitudinal section of a cylinder to be attached to a wash basin or thelike with its concave side upward, and flexible means to detachablysecure the panel to the faucets of the wash basin.

5. A supporting surface comprising a concavoconvex panel to be attachedto a wash basin or the like with its concave side upward, and means todetachably secure the panel to the faucets of the wash basin, said panelhaving a recess extending inwardly from a mid portion of the side edgeadjacent which the detachable securing means are attached.

6. A supporting surface comprising a concavoconvex panel to be attachedto a wash basin or the like with its concave side upward, said panelhaving a plurality of openings adjacent one side edge thereof, and meansto detachably secure the panel to the faucets of the Wash basinincluding an elastic cord laced through said openings in the panel, thecross-sectional size of the elastic cord being so related to the size ofsaid openings in the panel that the elastic cord will be adjustablyretained in them by friction.

HENRY RAY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 914,120 Demarest Mar. Z, 916,283Eccleston Mar. 23, 1969 1,587,693 Beland et al. June 8, 1925 2,367,321Wheeler et al. Jan. 16, 1945

